Ch 2

We Make Pleasant Talk With a Vulture

I checked my watch; so far, I wasn't close to being late. I stepped off the bus I took, and ran up the steps of Goode High school. Being there was enjoyable since Grover and Annabeth ended up going there too. During my year, I had to say it was a good year, but I knew that if I wasn't careful, once again I would end up battling a monster, being expelled, and end up being on America's Most Wanted. Oddly enough the monsters and the gods were strangely quiet; I never saw any evidence of some kind of catastrophe in the making. But before I got too fixed on that topic, I stored it away and continued heading towards my locker.

When I got to my locker, I began to wonder if I should tell my friends about my dream. I knew that strange man was Egyptian, but he seemed rather peculiar; I've seen many Egyptians walk the streets, but none of them appeared similar to that man. One of the obvious aspects was his very odd liking for giant crocodiles, but what really made him strange was his ability to change into sand. We were learning about Egypt today in history class, so I figured I would take some notice to that.

"Percy!" I heard Grover say as he walked over towards me.

"Hey Grover," I responded as he trotted over," Where's Annabeth?" Grover shrugged.

"Haven't seen her," he said," I think she might be coming soon." After he finished, the bell rang.

"Well, I have to tell the two of you something when recess starts," I said," about a dream I had."

"Okay, but lets have class first," said Annabeth as she walked up.

"Where were you?" I asked.

"Bus was late," she stated simply.

"Ah," Grover and I said together.

We went into class, where we studied Egypt. Normally my friends and I found it very boring since we knew it was the Olympians who were the big guys. But this time I had a dream depicting some powerful Egyptian, I paid attention. Unfortunately by dyslexia kicked in, and I couldn't concentrate, thus, learning zilch.

Recess began, and people went outside to talk and play sports. I then took this chance to talk to Annabeth and Grover about my dream. Even Annabeth was stumped.

"None of us are familiar with the Egyptians, but what I can tell you is that it is said that a dead Cyclops is an omen of war," she explained.

"So they are dangerous in death as well as in life," said Grover," now that's just plain weird."

"I must agree with you on that one," said a woman's voice. We whipped around looking for the source, we had all heard it.

"Who said that?" asked Grover.

"Come over to the bushes and you'll find out," the voice answered. I took out Riptide and tensed, but when we entered the bushes, all we saw was a bird. Looking a second time, I noticed that it was a snow white vulture with an orange head and some plumage on the top.

"Where are you?" I asked, looking around.

"You're looking at the source," the voice said. Then we turned and gaped, the voice was coming from the vulture.

The vulture laughed. "Surely you have seen or heard your fair share of animals talking to you," it said.

"Uh, yeah," I responded.

"Then sit down," the vulture said gesturing with its foot. We sat down automatically and hard, as though there some kind of force pushing as down. There was an awkward silence.

"You are very quiet," said the vulture, which we dubbed a "she".

"It has been awhile since we talked to a bird," Annabeth said.

The vulture smiled. "I do not blame you," she said," but most people I talk to are honored, I don't to everybody in this form."

"What do mean by this form?" Grover asked uneasily.

The vulture cocked her head at Grover. "Come now, think about it," she said, and then she blinked and laughed like she just remembered something ridiculous. "I just realized I hadn't properly introduced myself," the vulture spread its wings in a greeting. "I am Nekhbet, goddess of mothers and protection," she said. Grover's eyes widened, Annabeth gasped, and I gaped and we all began to kneel.

Nekhbet waved her wing. "Do not bother," she said," and no need for formalities."

"I am sorry, but have not seen you before," Annabeth said," are you one of the minor goddesses?"

Nekhbet looked offended. "Field of Reeds no, I am very important to the kings, I protect them along Wadjet, the daughter of the great Uraeus," she said.

"Then we have not seen you on Olympus," Grover said.

The goddess looked at him and blinked. "My dear acquaintance, I do not go to Olympus, I hail from the Great Pyramid," she said.

"Then would that make you an Egyptian goddess?" I asked.

"And I'm honored to be one," Nekhbet said. We all stared at her; it was just like my dream, although the man in my dream was not a god.

"Yes he was a god," said Nekhbet reading my mind," and not just any god; he was the mighty Sobek, great lord of the crocodiles and the so important Nile."

"So that is why I had such a strong connection to the crocodile," I said.

"Exactly," Nekhbet said. There was a brief silence and Grover broke it.

"Where did you say you come from?" he asked.

"The Great Pyramid of the Sun," she said," it's in California, and if you find Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, you can find the palace."

"Why are you here?" asked Annabeth. Suddenly Nekhbet spread her wings, and then her head seemed to rise out of the feathers, revealing her neck covering them both in a brown fluffy down, her wingspan grew and her feathers changed from white to brown. Suddenly a different kind of vulture was facing us.

"Sometimes I like to be a Nubian Vulture instead of an Egyptian Vulture," she explained," and to answer your question, I was traveling through the area with Wadjet, when I lost her, and while I was looking for her I stumbled into your school."

"I mean, what are you doing in New York?" Annabeth asked again.

"Well, we had to do a mission for Uraeus, guardian of Egypt," Nekhbet answered again.

"What was the mission?" I asked.

"It was too….," she began, but before she could finish the bell rang, and when we turned back to the goddess she was gone. As we walked back to class, we talked about the encounter with an Egyptian deity.

"Never before have I heard of more then one god pantheon, this is major, we must tell Chiron of the Egyptians," Grover said, Annabeth and I agreed.

"Is there any threat?" I asked.

"I don't know, but if we are not careful with the information, a war could break out between the Egyptians and the Greeks," said Annabeth.